In Brauanu: ☼

Nazis are easy pickings for writers. They are evil, or they are ridiculous. Playwright Dipika Guha has chosen to go for laughs. Sadly, her new "In Braunau" is more weird than funny. The laughs are about modern cultural references, but never about what she seems to feel is the heart of the show: the hidden Nazi in all of us.

Young idealists Sarah (Sango Tajima) and Justin (Josh Schell) have decided to open a B&D, that is a Bed and Dinner, in the very home in Braunau, Austria, where Adolf Hitler was born. Sarah calls it "A dark chapter with freshly baked cookies." This makes as much sense as not recognizing the clearly evil designs of their first long-term guests Katrine (Elissa Beth Stebbins) and Alfred (Timothy Roy Redmond). Katrine, channeling Nurse Ratched, and Alfred, looking and acting like Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice. have mannerisms which, one would think, might alert Sarah and Justin to certain nefarious tendencies. 

But Justin has fallen in love. Male-bonding-wise.

There is a Nazi in the basement, who may be imaginary.  Played by Mohammed Shehata, this young man wants Sarah to kill him.

Also participating are Shehata and Sam Jackson (as first guests Jai and Soha) who are, quite correctly, scared out of their minds. Jackson also plays P, an Egyptian refugee with an Israeli accent and an underground website who is trying to make sense out of Sarah and Justin.

No one could really be as naive as these Americans. The author seems to be lampooning characters who are lampoons to begin with. As for the ending, you will have to figure out for yourself what happens to Sarah.

RATINGS: ☼

The San Francisco Theater Blog Awards Division grants "In Braunau" One Star, for Sango Tajima, whose character at least shows signs of recognizing reality. (See sidebar for explanation of ratings.) The show will improve when Guha decides if her story is horror, comedy, drama, farce, or something else.

And speaking of which: we would be remiss not to mention that leaving the theater you must expect to be assaulted by the Zombie Apocalypse that Market Street has become at night. Nazis upstairs and Zombies downstairs.

"In Braunau" 

The Rueff at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater

1127 Market Street, San Francisco

Through July 7

$30